Intertwined
by Ennju
Summary: AU: A girl in a brink of death and a girl drowned in responsibilities, both were intertwined by a 'heart' that will lead both of them into love and misery.
1. Chapter 1: The introduction

_"Hey, little girl..! Hey! Don't lose consciousness, hang in there..!"_

_A man's voice._

_Surrounded by darkness, surrounded by void, I raised my trembling hand._

_"...I'll save you.. I'll save you! Just please don't die on me..!"_

_'Die'?_

_Am I going to die?_

_Who is the owner of that voice..? Mister, will I die?_

_My mother.. My father.. Will I leave them? Am I going to die?_

_'Hey.. Hey! I'm begging you..!"_

_The voice is slowly fading._

_Am I really dying?_

_No.. no.. I don't want to die..!_

_No..! No! No! No!_

_I don't want to die yet!_

_I feel like I am drowning. I can't breathe. All I see is black. All I see is fear._

_Suddenly, everything turned into white. Cold filled my body. I cannot move, I cannot speak, I was greeted by a small whisper of a woman._

_'I have saved you, little girl, I have saved you… Now it's your turn.'_

_And I was hugged from behind._

_'..Please, save… her...'_

* * *

"Wait! Hah.. Haah... Haah.."

Greeted by the white ceiling, Yuzu slowly lowered her trembling hands to her face filled with cold sweat.

"Haah... hah... that dream again, huh?" She slowly sat up to her bed and looked at the window filled with sun rays.

"Sunny… good..", after heaving a small sigh to calm herself.

After a minute, the blonde slowly rose and she gently bumped her fist into her chest.

"Hmm.. Don't worry, heart. Today will be a good day."

...

"Good morning, Mom! What's for breakfast?" Yuzu said while happily going down the stairs.

"Bacon and eggs, dear! I know you love it!"

"Yes! You really are the best!" Yuzu sat at the dinner table and excitedly reached for the bacon, but when she almost reached it, she was interrupted by a serving spoon.

"Yuzu! Pray before eating! I've taught you that for 17 years and you're still not doing it!"

"Hehehe, sorry, Mom!"

After praying, as Yuzu reached for the bacons, her mother noticed the trembling body of the blonde.

"Yuzu, that dream again? Should we go to the docto-"

"It's nothing, Mom." Yuzu smiled at her mother. "It's just the usual, don't worry. Let's eat!"

Her mother looked at her daughter for a minute and heaved a sigh. Pushing the worry aside, she savored the moment she and her daughter have in a nice sunny weekend.

After breakfast, Yuzu was washing the dishes while her mother was cleaning the dining table.

"Yuzu, the weather's sunny today, are you going out?"

Yuzu slowed down her washing. "Yes, Mom. The anniversary's almost there. I don't want to go there while crowded."

"I see." Her mom looked at Yuzu. "Do you want me to join you..?"

"No need. I can do this, I'm almost an adult now!" Yuzu smiled. "I've finished washing the dishes, Mom. I'll go get ready now!"

"Okay, dear. Take care!"

Yuzu hurriedly went to the bathroom. As Yuzu closed the door, her mother resumes the cleaning and sadly whispered, "You're always fighting alone, Yuzu."

* * *

"Uugh.." Yuzu released a painful moan as she carefully made her way to the outskirts of the city. Carrying a bouquet and some several candles, she stopped for a while. _'Tired.. Just tired.'_ After a short routine of breathings, she resumes her walk.

"Damn, heart. You're really aggressive since I've woke up. Are you really that excited?" Yuzu grasped her chest as she noticed the sign board of her destination.

For the past 10 years, her heart has never been on rampage before. Time to time, she can feel pain, but she knew it's normal. It's just the side-effect of what happened to her when she was 7. This time, only this time, her heart reacted to something huge. _'For the past ten years, why only now?'_

Slowly, she entered the cemetery. _'Still clean as always'_. While walking, Yuzu looked around and noticed the growing cherry blossom trees around the vicinity of the cemetery. The blonde softly smiled. '_What a good view, really a fitting resting place for her.'_

After walking from the sea of tombs for several minutes, she finally spotted her desired location.

Yuzu knelt and she slowly rubbed the tomb of her concern to clean the dust. _'Aihara Miyano'_.

"Hello there, how are you today, Senpai?"

Slowly lighting the candles and placing the bouquet at the center, Yuzu relaxed herself.

"Can you believe it, Miyano-senpai? Ten years have passed, I already have the same age as you! If you're here, I'll definitely punch you in the gut." Yuzu softly chuckled. Her blond locks are swaying along with the leaves of the cherry blossoms.

"Senpai," Yuzu lowered her head. "Hey.. Answer me, Senpai.." Her hands curling into fist. Tears slowly dripping.

"Why.. Why did you have to die… Senpai… I-"

"…Who are you?"

A voice suddenly interrupted Yuzu from her sobs. As the blonde turns around, a silhouette of a woman greeted her.

The blonde's heart was filled with surprise and disbelief.

Black.

Blue.

Everything happened in an instant.

She was blown away. Too beautiful. She looked away.

Her heart pain made her gain her composure once more. She looked again at the woman in front of her.

Long black hair, blue eyes, beautiful, along with a gray turtleneck sweater and a black jacket. _'Like an art, like a painting, just like her.'_ she thought, but she noticed something else.

Her eyes were intensely looking at her.

_'Angry..? No, perplexed..? Still no. It's different… It's almost as if she's-'_

"Urgh..!" Yuzu grasped at her chest harder. _'Damn heart pain..! Why now...!'_

The painful moan from the blonde returns the composure of the raven. After closing her eyes and heaved a short sigh, she approached the woman in front of her.

"…Excuse me, sorry to interrupt you,"

Closing their distance, a pair of serious blue eyes clashed with a pair of vulnerable green eyes.

"..but what are you doing in my sister's grave?"


	2. Chapter 2: The meeting

_**AN**: Hello hello, everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews, you guys are super duper awesome! _

_I'm very sorry for some grammatical errors, english is really not my forte but I really want to write this so I still hope the idea stays there._

_This will be a very lengthy fanfic, their back stories are a bit complicated so I want the leads to have an interaction one step at a time. If the pacing is slow, please do let me know. *u* Yuzu and Mei will not be sisters in this fic, that's why I'm having a hard time thinking of a perfect surname but there's this shoujo manga that I've read that's cool so I used the main girl's surname for Yuzu.. :_

_Again, all u guys are cool! Feel free to give reviews or message me for comments and suggestions!_

* * *

"...What are you doing in my sister's grave?"

"...Huh?" Yuzu absentmindedly answered. Upon realizing it, Yuzu suddenly stood. "...S-S-S-Si..!"

The raven's look was so intense that the blonde cannot even look her in the eye. "Uhhh... Uhhmm.." Thinking of an escape, Yuzu tried to dust off the dirt in her jeans.

"..Huh.. sister.." Stopping in the middle of dusting off, she whispered. "So senpai had a sister, huh.. Figures.."

"..." The dark haired girl closed her eyes and exhaled. "I asked you a question, didn't I? I am expecting an answer."

Yuzu stood up straight and tried to cover her nervousness with a smile. "Ahh.. Yes, I'm actually here to pay my respects to your sister-"

"...Which is quite finished, I assume? Then, I'll take care of the things here. You can now leave." The raven walked past the blonde, which results to a negative response.

"Wha.. What the hell? I'm still not finished here yet! Who gave you the right to-"

"I have the right. I am a family member, after all." The raven glared at Yuzu.

"...and outsiders are, clearly, not allowed."

"Wha..." Yuzu's voice left her, along with her power and her will to fight back. Slowly, she remembered her memories with Aihara Miyano. The vivid smile of her as she petted her head. _'Outsider.'_ The warm feeling of her hand as she pulled crying Yuzu into the park. _'Outsider.'_ The way she hugged Yuzu from behind and always whispered, "Smile, little girl. Smile." _'Outsider, huh..'_

"...I see." Yuzu weakly replied. "Then I'll go ahead."

One step, two steps, after several steps. Yuzu stopped.

"Oh. By the way, I'm Amamiya Yuzu,"

The raven looked at her side to peek at the blonde's sudden introduction. Surprisingly, what she saw was a figure of a broken woman with the loneliest smile she had ever seen.

"..a simple outsider to Aihara Miyano for almost ten years."

Yuzu left the dark haired girl's vision after some minute. After hearing the soft swaying of cherry blossom trees, the dark haired girl knelt in front of her sister's grave and lowered her head.

"..." She closed her eyes. "...I'm sorry, Yuzu."

...

Still grasping her chest, Yuzu's breathing's still not stable.

_'No..'_

Yuzu unsteadily walked out of the cemetery and balanced herself with one hand at the wall.

_'No.. no, please not now.'_

Seeing a small alley, Yuzu entered the area with caution. Resting herself at one wall, she slid herself slowly until she reached the ground.

_'No.. I can't cry now..'_

"...This is all my fault.." Yuzu cupped her face. _'I can't.. for her I can't.'_, her voice cracking. "All.. This... My.. Fault.."

_"Smile, little girl. Smile."_

The guilt is breaking her. She cannot keep it anymore.

Like a drum bursting, she shouted. "I'm sorry, I.. I'm sorry, senpai..! Senpai!"..drowning with sobs and cries, blending with the darkness of the dirty alleyway.

* * *

"Uuuugh." Yuzu lazily said while burying her face in her arms. "I feel suck."

"Yeah, you also look suck. What the hell happened yesterday?" A brunette named Harumi Taniguchi nudged the blond as they rest on the windows outside their classroom.

"Well.. Harumin, it's that time of the year, you see. Some things have happened, I cried all night. The end."

"...You know, Yuzu, sometimes I really admire your story telling skills."

"Then, I'll take that as a compliment."

"...Hey, hey. I'm being sarcastic here.." Harumi gave her sulking friend an irritating look.

"I know, don't worry.. Ow!" Harumi dragged Yuzu's cheek all over the hallway. "You're just hungry, Yuzu. It's lunch, let's eat."

...

"Thank you for the food!" echoed all over the rooftop as the best friends sat at the corner of the area.

"Now that I think about it, this is the first time we'll have our lunch at the rooftop." Yuzu opened the package of her bread.

"Yup, since this place is the most peaceful place I could ever think of inside this school."

Other than the biting of the bread and sipping of the milk, they were completely silent. The blonde softly smiled and spoke.

"Thank you."

"Mmmmh?" Harumi swallowed the remains of the bread. "Why is that?"

"...Because you didn't ask me about what happened anymore."

Harumi observed her friend. "...Well, I'm not really the type of person who gets enjoyment in prying other people's privacy, even if I'm worried."

"I see. That's a relief."

After a few seconds, few minutes of silence. Yuzu softly spoke again.

"She had a sister. Same age as us."

"Hmm? Who?"

Yuzu tapped her chest.

"Ahhh.. I see. I get it now." Harumi sipped a little of her milk. "Did you talk to her?"

Yuzu nodded. "For a little bit. She's not aware of my existence and my situation, as I expected." Lowering her head, she followed. "..and that's exactly what I'm feeling guilty about right now. Stealing her sister, stealing the life of her sister.. If I died that day, then her sister might still be alive and I-"

"Yuzu," Harumi interrupted, holding both the shoulders of her best friend and seriously looked into her green eyes. "Stop thinking like that. You didn't steal anything. That's what she wants. She wants you to live."

"I know, Harumin." Yuzu still pinned her eyes on the ground. "I know, I can feel her living within me every minute, every second of my life. I want to live life to the fullest as possible, for her. For the life that she should be living with."

Slowly, Yuzu looked at the sky. "..She had a family, a complete family. Because of me, because of my existence, everything broke apart."

"She decided on her own, Yuzu. You did not force her, don't carry the burden all by yourself!"

After exhaling, the blonde continued. "..I'm responsible for her sister's grief."

"Yuzu.."

"She is hurting, Harumin!"

The brunette gripped harder. "Yuzu, calm down! You should understand more than anybody else that she's not the only one hurting-"

"..and more than anybody else, she's the one who's hurting the most. I ran away from her... The way she looked at me that time, I understood..." Yuzu can feel tears sliding down on her cheeks.

Harumi weakened her grip. She could feel her tears falling to her hands.

Sadly, Yuzu looked at her best friend. "..Because I also know what it feels of losing someone you deeply love."

* * *

Slowly descending the stairs from the rooftop, the blonde roughly rubbed her eyes repeatedly.

"Haah.. I can do this. I can do this."

"Yep. Don't worry, I've got your back!" Harumn said while slapping her friend's back, resulting a groaning response.

After walking for a couple of seconds, the brunette broke the silence. "Hey Yuzu. I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"Did you ask the little sis her name? Maybe we can ask her out and maybe later on open up to you."

Yuzu stopped walking and gave her friend a puzzled look. "Come to think of it, I haven't...yet..." earning a surprised cry from the brunette.

The blonde continued. "Wait, wait!... I- I don't know her full name, but it's safe to assume that her surname is 'Aihara'-"

"Aihara?!"

The brunette almost shouted. Grabbing the uniform of Yuzu's roughly, she whispered. "Are you really, really sure it's 'Aihara'?"

"Y-Yes.. Why?" Yuzu answered nervously.

"You don't know!?" Harumin grabbed her friend closer. "Our newly appointed student council president is an 'Aihara', 'Aihara Mei'! Adding the same age, there's a very, very huge possibility that she's the little sis, Yuzu!"

Yuzu nervously replied, "…I-It's just a possibility! And… And it's ridiculous! She and I landing on the same school is almost impossible to-"

"… Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your charade but violence is not allowed in this academy. Please release your hold to your schoolmate immediately." A cold voice interrupted.

"…Speaking of the devil, there she is." Harumin whispered as she moved aside.

Suddenly.

Surprise and pain engulfed her.

"Ugh.." _'This heart pain again…'_ Grasping her chest hardly, she glared directly in a pair of blue eyes, mirroring her shock.

No one was speaking. No one was moving. Black hair swaying, blue eyes clashing on her own, intense heartache aiding, she was slowly drowning in her presence.

Yuzu tried to gain her composure as best as she could. She covered her nervousness and pain again with a smile and a voice that echoed all throughout the hallway.

_'This time, I won't run away.'_

"It's nice to see you again,"

_'…and this time, I'll face you directly,'_

"…Aihara Mei."


	3. Chapter 3: The clashing

**AN:** _Hello again, you cool guys!_

_This chapter will be the official start of all the interactions of our two leads that's why it's a bit long. XD_

_Their pasts will be explained sooner or later. Estimating, this fanfic will be about 10 chapters long. __Until then, please take care of me! __I love you all!~_

_Feel free to message or review for comments and suggestions! Nyaa!_

* * *

"So irritating…"Yuzu tapped her pen to her desk heavily for several times while she absentmindedly listened to her algebra class.

Yuzu gritted her teeth. She was restless. She was irritated, extremely irritated. Recalling last few week's events is definitely enough to make her blood boil up to her core instantly.

* * *

"…_It's nice to see you again, Aihara Mei."_

"…"

_Mei did not move nor speak. She studied Yuzu for several seconds, making the blonde uncomfortable. Mei closed her eyes for a bit and walked past the pair._

_Yuzu wholeheartedly prepared herself since she expected that Mei will definitely blame her in any way that she can. Personally, she can accept it better if Mei will shout her all the world's curses and swears. After all, Yuzu is the root of all that was transpiring since ten years ago._

_But what Yuzu can't handle out of all the possible choices was Mei, obviously, avoiding her._

"…_And ignoring me again, huh?"'_

_The raven stopped to her tracks and silently turned to her side. _

"_What exactly do you want?" _

_Yuzu glanced at the dark haired girl and shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering if greeting back hurts for a Student Council President."_

"_I see." Mei replied after a short silence. _

_Like a switch flipped, the air suddenly changed. _

_She heaved a short sigh as she regained her authoritative composure. Mei then faced forward.__"I'm sorry, but I don't have extra time to play with you and your stupid little games." An irritating glare appeared from her face. "Also, please wear your uniform correctly. You're ruining the image of this prestigious all-girls school."_

_Yuzu suddenly threw an angry glare at the Mei. "How dare you…!"_

_She closed her eyes while gritting her teeth. _

'_Calm down, she's her sister. Calm down. Calm down!' She kept chanting those words like a mantra. She can't let herself lose patience or else it would mean that she had accepted defeat._

_'I won't let it happen no matter what.'_

_Yuzu swallowed thickly. "I see." The blonde furiously followed. "...I'm definitely going to make you regret this, Aihara Mei." Mei answered her with silence and simply walked away, without even once turning her back._

_After calming down, the blonde looked around the area and noticed that some are looking suspiciously and gossiping about what just transpired between her and the Student Council President. She then pulled her best friend to the corner of the stairs and weakly rested her back on the wall._

"_Hah.. Hah.. Damn. I almost didn't make it back there." Yuzu massaged her chest while slowly sliding down until she reached the floor._

_Harumi also gently massaged her forehead. "Yeah. Actually, you have two amazing achievements for today, Yuzu. First, you are now popular in this school for some crazy and indescribable reason, and second, you just made our Student Council President your enemy. I'm so proud of you."_

"_This is just the start, Harumin. Brace yourself. There will be more to come." Yuzu curled her fingers while her other hand shoved a white pill to her mouth._

"_Wait, don't tell me…"_

"_She knows something. The way she treats me and all, there's definitely something." Yuzu stood up. "I'm going to wipe that irritating glare off her pretty face. I'm going to make her respect me and make her spill the beans." _

"_Hey, Yuzu…"_

"…_And of course, this will start by pissing her off. Revenge is the best seasoning, after all."_

"_Yuzu, I don't think you'll gain her respect if you.."_

"…_after that, I'm sure she will definitely tell me everything." Along with a bits of Yuzu's evil laugh._

_Harumi heaved a huge sigh. _

"_What am I going to do with you,Yuzu…"_

_..._

_A few days later,_

_After class, Yuzu immediately dashed to outside of her classroom. Despite stumbling several times while running clumsily, she still reached her destination successfully._

'_Good, 2-A's still not finished!' _

_Yuzu smirked. She was very determined. Her heavy panting and her shaking legs did not stop her for ambushing her target and proceeding with her pla-_

_'Wait.'_

_After a few seconds of silence._

_Her mouth opened wide. _

_"I.. I didn't prepare any plan!"_

_Suddenly, the door opened. Students of 2-A were exiting the room one by one, that includes Mei. Spotting the fidgeting blonde outside, slowly, she suspiciously made her way in front of her concern. _

"_Amamiya, do you have any business here? I believe your classroom is on the other end."_

_Yuzu scratched her cheek with one of her fingers. "Ahhhmm..Uuuhhmm…" 'What should I answer!?' "Uhhhh.. Uhhhhmm.. J-just checking you out..! Hahaha..ha.."_

_ Yuzu can feel her voice and spirit slowly leaving her due to the narrowing eyes of the dark haired woman. The latter heaved a sigh, and without giving a second glance, she just walked away from the blonde._

"_Wait!...Haaah, failed."_

_..._

_Again, a few days later,_

_Mei walked out of the student council room during lunch break._

_A silhouette of a blonde peeked from a pillar. 'This is the perfect time.' Yuzu suddenly jumped and nervously greeted. "Hey Aihara! What a coincidence meeting you here! What's up?"_

_Mei narrowed her eyes at her. "This is the Student Council Room, Amamiya. Is this another one of your stupid little jokes?"_

'_Oh crap' "O-Of course not! I j-just simply want to greet my student council president! Is that not allowed? " Yuzu can feel her cold sweat slowly sliding down her back._

_The dark haired woman suspiciously looked at Yuzu."…"_

_...Then she walked away fom her._

"_Hey! Wait!"_

_..._

_The next few days,_

_Every month, the student council was visiting each room of the school for inspection. Today was assigned for this month. The president volunteered for the first floor and cautiously, she roamed around alone. _

_Later on, she noticed that the chemistry lab room had its lights opened._

_After a loud clicking of a tongue, Mei slowly made her way to the said room. "…Who left the lights open?" Sliding the door, what greeted her was something that made her every nerve cells stopped functioning. _

_A skeleton._

_Her eyes wide open._

_Mei let out a short frightened shriek, and she wobbly balanced herself on the opposite side of the wall. _

_"W-wha..."_

_Tears were almost forming and her knees were almost giving up and cold sweat slowly dripping dow-_

_"..."_

_...And Everything stopped when she noticed a sticking blonde hair behind the skeleton. _

_She slowly closed her eyes._

"…_Amamiya…"_

_Yuzu shyly peeked behind the skeleton and nervously chuckled. "Oops! Busted! Hahaha!" While waving the arms of the plastic skeleton. "But wow, that was an amazing cry! Too bad I didn't record it! Hahahaha..haha.."_

_But her chuckle suddenly stopped when she saw veins and dark auras popping out of the raven's head. "Oh, crap. Gotta go home now! Nice to see you though, Mei! This will be a secret between us!" and the blonde sprinted as fast as she could._

"_Get back here, Amamiya!"_

_..._

_Then, another few days,_

_Mei stood in front of a vending machine for a long time. After deciding, she pushed the button of her desired drink and reached for it at the withdrawal port. She touched the tip of the opener and she slowly pulled the small steel hanging. Mei slowly drank the contents of the cola that she picked-_

"_Hey Mei! Good to see you here!" The blonde tapped the raven's back harder than what she had anticipated, "Mei! S-Sorry! I think I tapped too hard..!" resulting to endless coughing and painful grunts coming from the dark haired woman._

_After wiping the cola remnants from her lips and regaining her composure, she answered the apology of the blonde with the scariest glare that only she could ever give._

_Yuzu felt like she lost five years of her lifespan. Her voice completely left her. Cold sweat dripping at her back, Goosebumps appearing all over her body, Yuzu thought, 'This is definitely the greatest metaphor of hell.'_

_Noticing the crowd gathering around the vending machine, Mei just closed her eyes and calmed herself down. Then she walked away from her, without looking back even once, leaving the stoned blonde in place._

_When the raven left the vicinity, Yuzu shrieked. "Daaaaaaaaaaaamn, that was scary! Scary! Scary I almost died!" She bended down, exhaled and balanced herself by holding down her knees. _

_"Haaaaah, I guessed I failed again."_

* * *

"Uuuuuuggghh." Upon realizing that Yuzu didn't have any progress regarding the student council president, she let out a very loud grunt.

"So frustrating!"

"Amamiya, I know you are frustrated in math, and a great way to lessen your stress is to solve. Can you please answer the problem on the board?" The teacher tapped the board as she looks at her exasperated student.

"Oh, great. Now this." Yuzu cupped her face with her hands, resulting to a laugh from the class and a sigh from a certain brunette.

The dismissal bell rang. Every student of 2-F stood up except for Yuzu, who was defeatedly resting her head on the desk.

Later on, someone nudged her.

"So, you plan on sulking all day?"

Yuzu turned around to see the face of her friend. "…I'm currently in the thin boundary of desperation and depression, Harumin."

"I think it's more of the latter." Which resulted to a groan from the other.

Harumi crossed her arms. "If none's working, then proceed to the last plan already!"

Yuzu glanced sadly. "You think it will work?"

"Hmm, maybe." Harumi tapped Yuzu's shoulder.

The brunette answered the doubts of her best friend with a gentle smile. "What matters is that won't give up and you're serious, after all."

...

'_It's already evening…'_

Mei glanced at her watch as she descended the stairs.

Hearing a small creak of a door, Mei turned around abruptly. "Haah…"

"No signs of her today..."

Mei intensely stared at the ground. After a short while, she continued to descend the other half of the stairs.

Upon mindlessly reaching the shoe lockers, she noticed a silhouette standing beside her own shoe locker.

The raven's eyes widened. She saw the perpetrator of her irritation for the last few days, but she noticed something different. The blonde was serious today.

The raven approached her. "…What do you want? I numerously clarified myself that I don't have time to play with your stupid games."

Yuzu observed her. "I didn't come here to play either."

Mei stopped in front of her and reached the handle of her locker. "…Then what's your intention?" She slowly retrieved her shoes. The clacking of her shoes echoed as it reaches the ground.

"Let's have a serious talk today, Mei."

The raven narrowed her eyes. Her calling her name with a stern voice was enough to be a proof of her serious intentions, and she doesn't like it one bit. She answered after a few seconds.

"I don't have anything to talk to you about. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Yuzu grabbed Mei's arm without looking at her.

"Stop running away."

Mei clicked her tongue. Her patience is slowly betraying her. "I told you I don't have anything to talk-"

"You do have! I know you do..!"

Yuzu turned to her and grabbed her arm tighter.

"Do you know something? You know something, right? Tell me. Please Mei, please tell me…"

"I told you I don't have anything to talk about!"

Yuzu was vulnerably stunned. The way Mei looked at her, the way Mei spoke to her, and the way Mei lost her composure.

It's the same when she looked at Yuzu at their first meeting at her sister's cemetery.

_The look of someone hurting._

Mei shrugged Yuzu's hold. "..Why…? She can't keep her cool any longer.

"...Why are you being so persistent..?!" Mei curled her fingers into fist.

Inquiring her was what Yuzu believed to be the answer. To her painful guilt, to Mei's own heavy suffering, and especially, to Aihara Miyano's peace of mind.

"This is for both of us."

Mei eyed her painfully. The other's vague answer left her defenseless. "..What do you mea-"

"…And because I'm sure this is what she wants-" Upon the mention of 'she', like a detonating bomb, the raven pushed Yuzu, leading her back to the shoe lockers. Despite releasing a painful cry for the impact, Mei still grabbed both blonde's wrist in each side of her head.

_'What's happening..?'_

Yuzu could feel Mei's breath beside her left ear. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

Mei backed away a little to look her in the eye and smirked.

"Uurgh!" _'Heart pain..!'_ The blonde tried to move her hands but the other's grip was so heavy she can't even fight. She looked at her blue eyes with a chillingly dark intent.

Yuzu was scared. Extremely scared. Her look scares her more than any other pain she was experiencing.

"Please, release me."

Ignoring the other, Mei lessened their distance that she could feel their noses touching.

"…Then stop pestering me about that irritating question of yours." And she continued with a whisper. "I hate stubborn brats like you the most, please keep that in mind."

Ever since Yuzu was young, she was always being pulled. Her father, her idolized Aihara Miyano, all of them disappeared before her eyes. She always hated herself for being weak. She cannot protect them. She lost almost everyone who pulled because of her, because of her weakness.

And she can't let another one disappear before her eyes ever again.

Despite the increasing pain, she answered Mei's gaze with the most determined voice that she can muster. "...I won't give up."

With the other's confused look, she served it as her cue to continue. She smiled. "...I won't let you be alone anymore."

The last thing Yuzu heard was an angry grit of a teeth. Suddenly, her necktie being pulled, she was yanked forward. Her lips were in contact into something soft.

She opened her eyes.

'Black hair...'

Then she realized what situation she was into.

"Mmmmhh?!" She tried opening her mouth, and she dug her own grave. More pulling force, she can feel something entering inside. 'Tongue?!'

She was desperately pushing the taller girl away, but the latter pulled the blonde harder. She can only let out a high startled noise to plead. The pain in her chest was not helping either. She was slowly getting weak and getting dizzy. _'...Please, stop… I… can't breathe..!'_

"Haaaaah!" The raven broke her contact with Yuzu. While the latter was panting and blushing heavily, she slowly released her hold.

"What... What…?"

Mei regained her focus after the blonde spoke. She picked up her shoes and wore it slowly. "That should clearly serve as a lesson." Upon standing, she turned to her side along with her eyes full of rage before she walked away.

"Also, Learn when to shut up your mouth, please."

Yuzu shivered. She cannot process what was currently happening. Everything happened in a blink of an eye that she cannot move nor feel anything anymore.

"What..." Yuzu touched her lips.

"...What?"

Realizing what just happened, she let out a cry that echoed all throughout the school.

"What the hell?!"


	4. Chapter 4: Being vulnerable

_**AN**: Merry Christmas, Everyone! \m/  
_

_Since some requested a Mei POV chapter, and since it's Christmas, this chapter will be everything about Mei. :3_

__The Yuzu POV of this chapter will be the chapter five. Also, t_his chapter is actually very challenging. Thinking in Mei's perspective really teared some of my hair out. Actually I don't have any idea of what her lifestyle is or what she is thinking, but still, I hope it turned out good.~_

_Some of the lines were based from my favorite romance anime/manga. 'Your Lie in April'! The story is so beautiful and heartbreaking! If you have time, try it!_

_Anyway. I love you guys! Feel free to message or review for comments and suggestions! 3 Nyaa!_

* * *

_"Onee…"_

_Charging off the sidewalk that ran alongside a hidden side of the shopping district, a little girl sprinted all-out along a road, slanting diagonally away through fields of people in the midst of a heavy rain._

_She wants to be away as fast as she could, along the path away from home, away from everyone._

_Clinging onto a wrinkled fabric from her hood to cover her eyes full of horror, water pools went splashing as she stepped on each, slapping against her trembling little legs. The brown coat she stole from their warehouse was definitely not helping, her white dress was slowly getting dirtied._

_Her mother will definitely get angry at her. But she doesn't have the luxury of worrying about that right at the moment._

_She only had one goal in her mind. She only wants to see her. Last time. Just one last time._

_"Onee..!"_

_As soon as she reached her desired destination, despite the intensifying rain, she still weakly balanced herself at the closest cherry blossom tree._

"_Finally, here…"_

_She closed her eyes. She can feel every droplet touching her bruised face. The coldness and darkness was slowly immersing her, but she didn't even care._

"_I'm better off dead, anyway." A voice too frail and weak was almost washed away by the pouring rain into the deepening darkness._

_She slowly caressed her injured arm. She can still feel her grandfather's metal cane violently assaulting her, like an angry animal, like a broken cassette tape, constantly repeating until she admitted her mistake, until she cannot take it anymore, until she cannot feel anything anymore. _

_She was cowering in terror._

_She was relentlessly reminded that failure is not an option, if do so, everyone will despise her, no one will love her._

_It's true. She grew as someone so obedient, responsible, and respectable, definitely in her grandfather's favor._

_But she hated herself._

_But she despised herself. _

_A twelve year old girl like her was already broken._

_And her only lifeline was taken away from her five years ago._

_She desperately searched each tomb, looking for a name she craved to see and hear for so many years. _

_..._

'_Aihara Miyano'_

_At last._

_She knelt down. All of her was trembling. Everything was cracking._

_She cannot take it anymore._

"_Onee-chan…"_

_She unsteadily raised her hands._

"_Please…"_

_All that's left to her was a frightened trembling girl, desperately, hopelessly clinging to her sister's tomb like a life preserver._

"_Please..!"_

_All that's left to her was a desperate wish. _

"_Please, save me…!"_

_Along with the huge roar of a thunder, her tears were slowly merging with the heavy droplets that came from the lonely sky, one after another, continuously, like an endless river-_

_Suddenly._

_She can't feel any rain pouring down anymore._

"_Huh..?"_

_She slowly raised her head to see the intruder of her space, only to be clashed with a pair of green eyes._

_It has been a while since she felt a warm and pleasing presence._

"_Hello." She calmly approached. "Umm… Do you know Senpai?"_

_She slowly backed away. She can't reply. The other knowing her identity will definitely bring forth danger to her and to the kind stranger. Betraying her interest, she tried to answer the other girl's approach by covering her eyes with her hood and rashly turned away to avoid her._

_A ten-odd seconds have passed, and she received no response from the other. Curiously, she slowly peeked in one eye and was astonished to see the girl sadly smiling at her._

_The other girl knelt with her while holding her pink umbrella to cover them from the heavy rain. "You're crying. You love her, am I right?"_

_She, again, answered her with silence while observing the way she looked at her sister's tomb. The intruder turned to her carrying a gentle smile. "What a coincidence, I also love her, very much."_

_At that moment, she only thought of one thing._

'_What a gentle person this girl is.'_

_Despite not knowing her name, despite seeing her for the first time, she realized something._

_She sparkles._

_She sparkles in her eyes._

_Suddenly, the umbrella swayed away as the other pulled the vulnerable girl into a hug. Extremely surprised, she kept on pushing the invader away while letting out a pleading cry but her arms are betraying her and no strength was coming out of her-_

"_Smile, little girl, smile."_

"_..Huh?" Her resistance suddenly halted. _

_The other girl buried her face in her shoulders. "That's what she always said to a crying me. No way could I forget that. She's not here anymore, and I know I can never replace her."_

_After breathing heavily, she continued. "...You cannot smile for her anymore, that's why,"_

_The other girl slowly raised her head and she looked directly into her eyes without falter._

_She with a gentlest smile that lightened the darkest pit of her core, she sparkles so much it almost makes her want to cover her eyes._

_The heavy rain has stopped, and the hefty rain in her heart was slowly easing._

"…_Smile... for me, okay?"_

* * *

"…Yuzu."

Mei abruptly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a great load of headache and a stack of papers all over her study table inside her dark condominium.

"Ugh…" She slowly sat up after realizing that she unconsciously took a nap in the middle of her take-home student council work. She took her reading glasses off and absentmindedly wiped them as she processed her recent dream.

'_Why that memory at a time like this?'_

She almost considered that memory a taboo. Considering their recent interactions, she knew it's almost impossible for her to see Yuzu comfort her like in that memory again.

She knew that she will never see that smile anymore, especially with her involved.

She violated her for her selfish wishes.

Mei gently touched her lips with her weak fingers. The way she forced herself to her hurts so much, but her lips were so soft it was almost comforting.

Mei leaned in to the warmth of her chair. "I'm the worst." She painfully whispered.

After their first interaction, she quietly observed the kind stranger in a distance, hoping to see the smile that shed a little bit of hope on her to live again.

A year later, she heard a private conversation from her father and an unknown man with a white coat that her sister's heart was donated to a young girl in a car accident, and miraculously, survived.

And the name of the young girl was Amamiya Yuzu.

She secretly infiltrated her father's study room. All the files were scattered, all the drawers opened, until she discovered a paper stash with a picture of the girl with complete medical records and her heart's statuses every year.

The same girl who smiled at her, the same girl who gave her hope.

The same girl who let her live again.

She was exasperated, she was also happy, she was also sad, she was also angry. All emotions stirred in her fragile body that she cannot even shed a tear anymore.

All these information was hidden from her, from her whole family. Her grandfather is extremely prideful and knowing this will definitely be dangerous to everyone involved, especially to Yuzu.

Her smile let her live, and she cannot let that smile disappear no matter what.

She will be selfish, for one last time.

She made a resolution. A life her sister saved and a life that saved her, she will definitely protect it, she will protect her by staying away from her to prevent Yuzu from meeting her grandfather.

She will protect her by not involving herself to her anymore.

Even sacrificing her own life and happiness for her.

It gave her a reason to be close to her, yet it also gave her more reasons to stay away from her.

Mei bitterly smiled. The person she wants to be with so much was too much out of her reach anymore.

* * *

Mei knew her day won't be pleasant, especially a letter with a heart stamp inside her shoe locker facing her first thing in the morning.

She heaved a long sigh. "Not again.."

She was really not in a mood for pointless confessions with her mind filled with studies, student council work, and a certain troublesome blonde. Ignoring the letter will affect her reputation so she had no choice but to participate and predict a senseless banter later on.

...

And she's right.

"I-I love you, Aihara-san!" A fidgeting first year girl furiously blushed as she yelled her confession from the top of her lungs.

Mei just looked at the girl expressionlessly.

At the times like this she wants to thank the gods that there's no one currently idling at the school yard during lunch time.

The young girl continued. "You're so cool, amazing and majestic..! I can't stop thinking about you and I w-want to know you better… That's why… That's why..!"

The young girl gripped her skirt tightly and closed her eyes, gathering all her courage to convince the other girl of her sincerity.

"Will you… Will you go out with me..?"

"..."

Mei admired the girl's strength to confess her feelings to her. She experienced confession so many times and out of all, this young girl's confession was undeniably sincere.

She was amazed, but it didn't affect her.

'_It's pointless.'_

"…Thank you," Mei tried to answer as gently as possible. "but I'm sorry, I can't accept your feelings for me. I don't deserve it. I'm sure someone else will love you more." Mei bowed as she ended her speech.

She slowly raised her head and later on walked away leaving the young girl in place, when suddenly, she was being pulled into a back tight hug.

"W-Wha.. What are you doing—"

"Just one time!" Mei can't help but noticed the cracking voice of the other. "I really love you. Date me just once, please..!"

Suddenly, things became complicated.

She really hates stubborn brats like her the most.

"…You don't know me better to declare that you love me."

"B-but… I'm sure we can understand each other more if we-"

"No." Mei shrugged the hold of the young girl.

_'It's completely pointless.'_

If she can't reject her in a gentle way, then she'll tell her straightforwardly.

"It's impossible."

She looked directly in the eyes of the trembling girl.

"Because I'm not capable of loving the likes of you."

Mei turned her back to her and continued her tracks. She doesn't want to look back or else she'll hate herself even more.

But she didn't feel anything. After experiencing nothing but control and pain for the past 17 years, of course she's now numb. After all, hurting others became her specialty now.

She became an exact replica of her grandfather.

And it's not surprising anymore.

She fastened her tracks as she realized how pitiful she is right now.

She grew up to be twisted, horrible, insensitive, and now she cannot redeem herself anymore. She was broken all to pieces, a broken being like her doesn't deserve love from everyone, even from her parents, even from Yuzu—

"…I'm sure you'll have an A+ in your card if there's a subject of "Pushing people away", you know?"

Mei ceased her pace. Hearing her voice was the last thing she needed at the moment.

Mei observed her. "I thought I had silenced you completely, looks like your eavesdropping skills even improved."

Yuzu was resting her back at the nearest pillar from the school yard. She raised both her shoulders. "Well, blame my P.E. class for being near the school yard."

Mei did not answer back. Her voice makes her irritated, at the same time, her voice calmed her.

It's bitter, yet it's sweet.

It's painful, yet it's soothing.

She's a puzzle that its difficulty keeps on increasing every single time they interact.

_She really is an embodiment of all her mysterious ironies._

Her line of thought was halted when the blonde faced her with a stern expression. "She loves you."

Mei narrowed her eyes. '_So that's what this is all about.' _"She doesn't. She just misinterpreted her useless infatuation with something so serious."

"'_Useless infatuation', _you say?" Yuzu marched towards her target. "She told you she wants to know you better. It's clearly not useless, she's sincere!"

"Loving someone because she's _cool _and _amazing_? Don't make me laugh."

"She loves that side of you, can't you see it? That's why she's willing to know you better to love you as a whole!" Yuzu's voice was getting angrier in every exchange.

Mei's cool was slowly deteriorating. "She won't. Once I exposed everything to her, she'll give up on me."

"You'll never know until you try! If she really loves you then she'll accept everyth-"

"She'll accept everything?"

She's getting tired of this pointless talk. She just wants Yuzu to go away.

"Accept everything… Wow, so you're still clinging on that childish bit of make-believe definition of Love? I'm disappointed, Amamiya."

The other was losing patience as well. "What..?" Mei noticed the blonde's trembling fists. _'Good.'_ She wants her to be angry for her to have a reason to stay away from her.

_'Please be angry at me.'_

But the blonde still continued. "Then let's hear your righteous definition of love, Miss Aihara Mei."

Yuzu moved closer with the intention of rage.

"Let me hear that goddamn definition of yours."

Mei held her glare for a few seconds before looking away. She needs to answer the question, yet she can't. She tried to remember the instance she felt she was truly loved. Can she consider the terror of her grandfather's metal cane as 'Love'? Can she consider her family's endless expectations to her as 'Love'? Can she consider all the pain she accepted without fighting back as 'Love'?

In the end, only one answer came to mind.

"None."

"None? That's your reason for constantly wrecking other people's emotions and randomly kissing and controlling everyone on your own accord and satisfaction?! Don't mess with me!"

"Yes. None." Mei repeated, leaving the other in widening eyes. She directed it to the blonde filled with doubt and to herself for reassurance.

"Are you… serious...?" Yuzu was dumbfounded. She was too stunned to talk back after the revelation.

"Yes."

Love was something that was taken away from her. Love is forbidden for her.

For once she loved, she will defy all the ideals her grandfather had for her. And she's too broken to fight for her own right.

She answered Yuzu with a clouded smile.

"…I was raised to be a puppet, after all."

* * *

Several months have passed since their heated argument at the school yard.

After the meeting, Mei absentmindedly locked the student council room as she looked around for a certain individual.

_'No traces of her again.'_

She expected it. There's no way she'll stick around again after shutting her down for several times. No ordinary human would chase after a horrible person like her after all.

While descending the stairs, she pulled a random book from her bag to entertain herself for a bit and escape reality only for a few minutes.

She left the school vicinity with no noise to distract her from reading. She was not really new to peace, always playing alone, always studying alone, she grew up living in solitude so much that she ended up not relying on others.

She was always alone, that she realized that solitude will be the only thing that will accompany her for the rest of her days.

She was always alone, that she realized that solitude is so..

So lonely.

Then, suddenly she noticed someone standing near the school gates.

"…"

As if she can see right through her, into her heart.

Always, out of nowhere.

She just show up.

Resting her back on one side of the gate, casually eating a single stick of Pocky, observing her with her green eyes, and her blonde locks swaying.

"…Yo."

She really shines.

Mei, pretending to be not interested, she intensely looked at the book she was currently holding.

"…Are you here to pity me? If you do, then go home. I don't need it."

"No freaking way! Don't be so full of yourself! I don't even have time to pity myself, you know?"

Mei looked at the girl in question. "…Then, what exactly do you want?"

"Nothing," The blonde stood properly while eating the last bit of her Pocky.

"…Just wondering if having a company hurts for a Student Council President."

Mei's eyes widened. She can't believe it. "I see." How can she read her heart so easily when she doesn't even understand it herself?

Her wall was crumbling. She knew fighting back right now will be useless. If she can be honest once…

Only once, then…

"No."

The blonde looked at her questioningly while she closed her book. "I'm answering your question."

The blonde confusion deepened, the raven's eyebrows twitched.

"Do I really have to spell everything to you? Having a company! It..."

Mei to heaved a deep sigh. "...doesn't hurt."

A few seconds have passed, and she received no response from the other. Curiously, she slowly peeked in one eye and she was completely stunned.

She never thought she'll live long enough to see it again.

A very familiar smile that warmed her up to her core.

_The smile that gave her hope._

"...Finally!"

_Everything she said and do, she really sparkles so brightly._

"Thank you, Mei."

_She sparkles so much that it makes her want to cover her eyes._

"I want to show you something." Yuzu pulled her along by the hand, as they stride towards a destination the blonde greatly desired.

_But she can't help but look at her with both eyes opened._

She then presents her with the most reassuring smile.

_Because her sparkle showered her the most beautiful colors to her darkest life._


End file.
